Secret Signs
by skysenshi
Summary: A collection of Jacques and Aila vignettes. These are set after the game. ** Rating and title changed for future chapters. **
1. Author's Notes

**AUTHOR'S NOTE **

I have been able to play Suikoden III twice, first choosing Hugo as my Flame Champion and then trying Geddoe's route on the second round. Both my sister (pen name: Spatula Girl) and my cousin (pen name: firesenshi) chose Chris for their FC. Seeing all three scenarios, we noticed that the story didn't really change. It's just that the endings showed different perspectives, depending on whom you selected. The only other elements that can also be affected are the identities of the True Rune bearers. We all know that whomever we choose to be the Flame Champion would affect the wearer of the True Lightning and True Water runes.

In this series of stories, however, Hugo still is the Flame Champion, which means that Geddoe has the True Lightning Rune and Chris has the True Water Rune. This doesn't affect what happens to Chris' and Geddoe's endings.

This isn't a continuing saga. Each chapter can stand alone. Let's just say this is actually a collection of Aila and Jacques' romance vignettes, set after the end of the game. You can choose to skip chapters if you wish because they won't really affect each other. There isn't any ultimate plotline. There will be times, though, that some situations in other chapters will depend on what happened in previous installations. This is just for consistency's sake.

Now for the first major question I know you would ask. Why Jacques and Aila? It's really funny because the first time I encountered Aila, I was infuriated with her attitude. In fact, I was wishing for a duel so I could kick her butt so hard, she'd fly to Budehuc Castle. My coldness towards her character began to thaw when I noticed that Jacques was particularly very attentive to her. And after seeing all possible scenarios, I can't help but be touched by those rare moments shared by these two. When Geddoe's ending highlighted another Aila-Jacques moment, my sister and I started screaming like rabid fangirls. As for the title? I really suck at titles. I racked my brain for a decent name for this fic but to no avail. I was just about to upload this as "Untlited"that is, until I noticed that Ayumi Hamasaki's song "No More Words" was playing in the background. I think it perfectly fits Jacques personality, ne? 

UPDATE: I just changed the title to "Secret Signs" because I find the title "No More Words" a bit cheesy. Okay, you guessed it...L'arc~En~Ciel is playing in my background. ^^;; At least this one describes the entire collection better because of Jacques quiet demeanor and Aila's innocence.

For future reviewers, please check my Author's Note every now and then because this is where I will be responding to you.

Oh and if you're wonderingI played Suikoden 1 and 2 and carried over my stats unto Suikoden 3. There might be some references to both previous Suikodens and both previous Suiko**gai**dens in later chapters.

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**AUTHOR'S REPLIES (to reviewers) **

None so far.


	2. Beauty Awakens

**SECRET SIGNS: Beauty Awakens**

_New lines. New lines. New lines_

Aila was a nervous wreck. Nadir had just gotten hold of a new script and it was just her luck that Hugo would pick her to play the lead female character. She didn't know if it was just out of mischief or boredom that would make Hugo do this. She was inclined to believe that it was the former, knowing the new Flame Champion's penchant for making—and getting into—trouble.

_Sleeping Beauty._

Yes, she would be playing the beautiful sleeping princess of this old old fairy tale. It made her nervous. Jeez. She didn't really have that many lines because she knew she'd be spending half the time sleeping. Aila can even admit to herself that even though she wasn't as great an actress as Nei was, she was still a whole lot better than Chris and the other prettier girls of Budehuc Castle.

So why was she sweating profusely?

Damn Hugo and his naughtiness! Sleeping Beauty required a kissing scene! Sure, it would probably be nothing more than a chaste kiss, but still This would be her first kiss. And she didn't like the idea that her first would be wasted on stage, instead of being experienced with the man whom she imagined she'd be sharing a future with.

Hm. Maybe she should be blaming Geddoe for insisting that they stop by Budehuc Castle. Or Ace for telling Nadir that his teammates were still available to participate in his plays. Or Jacques for helping her get into the Southern Frontier Defense Force, which indirectly led her back here.

Argh! It was no use. Backing out was not an option. Inside Budehuc Castle, it never was. For the sake of goodwill, nobody refused a role offered. Heck, even the silent Watari and the spiteful Lilly willingly performed. Why should she be any different? Wellshe could be. Exceptshe had given Nadir her word prior to knowing what the new script was all about.

All she could do now was hope that Hugo didn't intend for this to be a practical joke. Pray that the prince wouldn't be Fubar, or Bright, or worseTwaikin. She shuddered at the thought. She would definitely kill Hugo after this.

Aila tugged at her soft brown ringlets as she waited backstage for the prince and the fairies to finish their dialogues. She had just finished doing the spindle scene, where the princess should have fallen asleep right after getting her fingers pricked by a needle. In the current scene, a hundred years had supposedly passed since that pricking incident.

Her nervousness increased with every passing minute. She even tried listening to the dialogues just to alleviate her discomfort, but all she could hear were the fairies. She scowled. Whoever was playing the prince must be very soft-spoken. She literally couldn't hear him!

"Oh, God, please let it be one of the good-looking guys," Aila whispered to herself. "Let it be Nash. Or Fred. Or Futch. Percival. Barts. Anybody but Twaikin!" She was being superficial, she knew, but this first kiss was a matter of life or death. She was a teenager. She had bright hopes and dreams for the future! "I promise, I won't drink soda for the next two months if the gods would just be so kind." That was quite a promise, too, because she loved soda so much she couldn't last a day without the taste of it.

She frowned as another thought came over her. Soft-spoken, huh? There was no chance that it could be Fred. If it were Fred, she'd be hearing him expound on his name over and over and over again. And quite loudly too. Maybe it was Tuta. The shy, young doctor was cute. Unfortunately, he was too overwhelmed with love for the nurse Mio.

"Aila," She heard Queen, one of her colleagues at the SFDF, murmur behind her, "you're up next." That was her cue. Aila ran to her dressing room and checked herself in front of the full-length mirror one last time. Her dark, smooth skin glowed exceptionally tonight. Her usual ponytail was down, making soft ringlets of her hair cascade over her shoulders. Not to carry her own chair, but she definitely looked like an exotic princess tonight. Hm. Maybe it wouldn't be all that bad. As long as it wasn't Twaikin or any of the beasts, she believed she wouldn't fall into disaster's hands.

The lights went off and Aila promptly went to her place on the stage. She eased herself into a bed of beautiful hydrangeas, their scent filling her nostrils with heady pleasantness. Sighing, she closed her eyes just before the lights went on again. _Here it is._

She waited for the prince to say his part. And waited. And waited. And waited

Just when she thought she was about to burst out in exasperation, she felt a pair of supple lips clamp down on her own. Surprised at the sudden feel of another's lips on hers—without a cue as to when it was coming—her eyes flew open.

The first thing she saw was a familiar thatch of blond hair. That, and a glimpse of skin so pale, it almost resembled snow.

Her eyes widened in shock.

_Jacques?_

She must have said that thought out loud because Jacques opened his eyes in response. She instantly found herself staring into his beautiful blue pools, her mouth agape in complete awe. She would've blushed if she could, but her skin tone effectively hid the fact that blood was quickly rushing to her head. Jacques was another story, however. His pale skin blatantly screamed that he was as deeply affected as she was. He stared back for what seemed like an eternity, before his gaze dropped to—

Aila didn't have another second to think. She was in for another surprise. Jacques' lips descended on hers once again, latching onto her bottom lip, sucking on it for a few milliseconds, before fully claiming her pliant mouth for his own. Aila felt her mind explode as her eyes instinctively closed themselves. Her hands seemed to act on their own volition for they crept up his neck without her bidding. Before long, Aila was returning his kiss—measure for measure—her hands leaving his neck to bury themselves in his flaxen-colored hair. She didn't really know what was happening, but she knew that she was seeing stars and that her mind couldn't register any coherent thought.

It was Nadir's deliberate coughing that brought them back to reality.

Jacques broke off the kiss, albeit he continued to stare at her in wonder. He swallowed. "Sorry," he whispered thickly, his voice seemingly laced with an emotion that Aila had never seen him exhibit before. Jacques had always been emotionless. Yes, he had shown concern for her many times, but he had always said his piece with a stoic expression plastered on his face. "Wasn't sure if I got it right."

Aila was mortified as she realized that this was the first time she had heard him talk since the moment he got onstage. No wonder she couldn't hear anything earlier! This was Jacques and she knew him too well to understand that he never recited his dialogues. His lines might as well have been composed of multiple ellipses. And now he was saying the wrong lines out loud, forgetting for a fact that they had an audience. What could they be thinking of them now?

She silently spoke her prayer of thanks when the narrator, who happened to be the quick-witted Queen, ad-libbed their way out of the show. Aila closed her eyes in defeat and gladly took off as soon as the curtains closed. Jacques' silence throughout the entire play should've earned them so many jeers of disapproval. The repeated kissing scene and the wrong lines got them a standing ovation instead. Figures. The residents of Budehuc Castle probably thought it was romantic

Aila, on the other hand, was too embarrassed to care.

Queen slammed her mug forcefully on the table where Ace, Joker and Hugo seemed to be having a "conference." Her eyes narrowed on Ace. "Okay, you buffoons," she spoke up, "whose nasty idea was it?"

Ace raised both hands and shook his head. "Don't look at me!" he protested. "I ain't the one who does the casting!"

"Riiiiiight." Seeing that she'd get no results from the team idiot, she turned to Hugo instead. "Chief Hugo?"

The young Karayan chief shrugged, a smirk belying his mischievous intentions. "WellIt was actually Ace's idea," he confessed. "He said that Jacques needed a push in the right direction and participating in the play would do him good."

If it were possible, Queen's eyes narrowed even more. She abruptly straightened. "Hm. You're probably right," she conceded. "But next time, Hugo, could you just ask for my help in these delicate matters? You guys have no idea what this experience will do to Aila."

Queen downed her beer and headed straight for the door. "Lemme just go and console her. She may be a strong Karaya fighter, but she's still a girl."

Hugo smiled in understanding. "Aye aye, Madame Queen. Won't do it again."


End file.
